12.06.06
Posted in Home, Opinion at 4:30 pm by Dave Franzwa
Is it just me, or is anyone else as disgusted with the shenanigans of certain marketers in the news recently?
Without naming names, one in particular that I’m thinking of has been preaching and teaching out-and-out theft using a matter-of-fact, in-your-face, totally black-hat, gangster-type style.
For now I’ll just refer to him as, oh, how about Ebenezer Scrooge?
I don’t claim to be any better than anyone else on the planet. We all make mistakes. But people like Ebenezer aggravate me to the point of losing my cool, and that’s hard to do.
I don’t care if his methods do work! I wasn’t raised to believe in conditional morality where it’s ok to steal as long as you don’t get caught, or as long as you get what you want, no matter who gets hurt.
Right is right and wrong is wrong. Period!
When it comes to criminal activity (and I consider not playing by the rules, and stealing results from those who do, criminal activity), somebody gets hurt and ends up paying the bill.
Not only was Ebenezer promoting theft, it was theft against fellow marketers like you and I.
That’s a family offence!
Maybe he was just using shock-value techniques. I don’t know for sure. I didn’t support him by buying into his book or his methods, but I doubt it.
In my day (and I still claim today as part of that, seeing as though I’m still on the upper side of the root system), that punk um, fella, would have been labled a delinquent, and been treated like one.
Maybe summer school or reform school, or even a good shellacking by his peers would have been in order. (I personally think he deserves one now, if he actually does what he says he does.)
Ebenezer doesn’t appear to have a conscience and definitely doesn’t play well with others.
I do believe he’ll reap what he’s been sowing, though. He’ll probably end up with a fortune, at the expense of any long-lasting relationships, or anyone even giving a crap about what happens to him, except those he throws money at.
But they don’t care about him, they only care about his money.
If that’s Ebenezer’s definition of success, he deserves every bit of it.
If he’s lucky, the least he can expect is that one of these days he’ll be paid a visit by Marley’s ghost. Maybe something can still be done to straighten out his attitude.
So, what do you think?
Am I wrong to place scruples above Rubels, or caring about others above making a buck?
Leave a comment. I really want to know what you think on this one.
Dave
ps ~ “If I could work my will, every idiot who goes about with “Merry Christmas” on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!”
Scrooge – A Christmas Carol ~
Thanks, Mr.Dickens. That just about sums ol Ebenezer up.
pps ~ God bless us, every one.
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08.13.06
Posted in Articles, Tales, Opinion at 12:10 pm by Dave Franzwa
It looks like I’m jumping into the tangled web of real content vs. search engine optimized copy.
I didn’t get involved in writing on the net to strike up a relationship with robots.
They’re dull-witted, have no manners, and could care less whether you or I have feelings.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t care much about playing games in which the rules constantly change. Wayyy too much for this wrinkled, old gray-matter to remember.
Even if I could remember, I was raised to believe that changing the rules mid-game is cheating, and I can’t say that I care much for cheaters either.
(By the way, watch who you choose as your banker in Monopoly;-)
With the ability of the major search engines, like Google, to change their search criteria and algorithms at the drop of a hat, that’s exactly the type of game I won’t play.
There are some folks out there that create software in an attempt to stay ahead of the search engines, or at least keep up with them, and that’s just fine, if that’s what they want to do.
Some of that content creation software is pretty cool, I’ll have to admit, but I’ll be darned if I’m going to dot my “t’s” and cross my “i’s” for the sake of a robot. Besides, Mom always said if I crossed my eyes, they might stick that way;-)
You see, a robot wouldn’t have caught, nor appreciated that little bit of fun with words, but humans would. (Most humans anyway.)
And that’s the point. If I can’t periodically entertain my readers, then there’s no sense in my doing this.
Fortunately, there are still readers who enjoy a sense of humor, and they are who I intend to keep writing for.
The internet was created for sharing information; that much goes without saying, but if the Borgs out there can’t even catch a little joke, then what other information are they judging as good when it is in fact, erroneous?
In Orson Wells’ classic “The War of The Worlds,” it was a common cold that brought on the downfall of an alien invasion.
Maybe it will be the simple joke that will be the ace up our sleeves in this war against robots that seek to sterilize all content of any trace of personality.
For all of you writing feverishly to please the labotomous Borgs of the worldwide web, continue to feed your masters if you like. I for one, will continue to relate to people who can choose to laugh at my jokes and forgive my mistakes, because it’s still not what you know (robots), it’s who you know (humans) that really counts in life.
Joke around a little. Be yourself. Poke fun at a robot occasionally; they won’t get it anyway, and I can prove it.
When you’re not sure whether you’re dealing with a robot or a human, simply say “knock, knock.”
If they don’t answer with the customary “who’s there” response, you know you’re dealing with a full-fledged, humorless, created-in-the-matrix robot.
If they do respond accordingly, you’ve got a live human on the other end, and they’re a lot easier to please.
But you’d better have a good punch line ready.
I have another one for you that the robots won’t get:
May the farce be with you.
Dave
Word-Wrangler-Press
(You’re welcome to use or distribute this article any way you choose, as long as you leave the above link intact. One of the few rules I use;^)
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07.04.06
Posted in Opinion at 9:08 am by Dave Franzwa
Here’s a real quick post that I may elaborate on a little later.
It seems like every time I turn around, someone else is slamming the USA about something, and that admitting to being a patriot could place you into the catagory of a 2nd-class citizen.
I ascribe to the notion that communicating with people, i.e. clients, family, and friends, is one of the most important tasks you’ll ever undertake.
Though politics and religion are very dangerous areas to write about (or even discuss in polite company), I believe that those two areas are also the very best to point your audience in the general direction of where you’re coming from.
They do, afterall, say something about who you are and what your core values may be.
Throwing caution to the wind, I’m going to admit to you that I am one of them.
Patriot, not 2nd-class citizen.
If it wasn’t for the likes of patriots, the USA nay-sayers living here in the US wouldn’t enjoy the liberty of speaking their minds, even when it’s those very patriots they’re speaking against.
If admitting to being a flag-waving, God-fearing patriot turns some of my readers off, so be it.
Those same patriots fought, some making the ultimate sacrifice, for my right to speak my mind too.
God bless them.
So whether you’re a patriot and believer, or not, that’s ok. You have that right.
It’s been paid for several times over.
I wish you a Star-Spangled 4th of July. Catch some fireworks, and love your family.
Dave
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